State OKs $23 million in CTC funding

May 26, 2009: “A once in a lifetime
opportunity,” is how Illinois Valley Community College President Jerry Corcoran
describes the $23 million for IVCC in a capital construction bill passed by the
State House and Senate last week.

If signed
by Gov. Pat Quinn, the $29 billion capital development bill would partially finance
construction of a $30 million Community Technology Center at IVCC. The college
has already raised more than $5 million toward its matching portion of the
project.

The building would house
manufacturing and high-tech career programs as well as student services such as
admissions, financial aid and counseling.

Corcoran credited the college’s board
of trustees for setting aside money each year for such a project and for its
foresight in moving ahead with the project in difficult economic times. In
March, the board hired Basalay, Cary & Alstadt Architects of Ottawa to
begin work on the architectural plan for a technology and workforce development
center.

The college has now combined plans for
that center with some of the most important features of a Community
Instructional Center into the Community Technology Center (CTC).

“Instead of building two centers,
we can combine the two under one roof, serve both purposes and save taxpayers millions
in the process,” said Corcoran.

Corcoran credited State Rep. Frank
Mautino (D-Spring Valley) and State Sen. Gary Dahl (R-Granville) for leading
the funding effort in Springfield. The proposal was also supported by the 12
other state representatives and senators serving parts of IVCC’s
2,000-square-mile district, Corcoran said.

In addition, the
project would include replacement of east campus “temporary buildings” the
college has used for 40 years, and would allow movement of programs into areas
left vacant by departments moving into the CTC.

If approved, the
project’s steering committee would begin holding several focus group meetings
to secure district-wide input on a facility that could be built within two
years.

Corcoran, who completed his first year as president in April, said the
CTC would significantly bolster the college’s ability to serve the district
well into the future.